Winter is special in Maine’s Kennebec Valley when the land is blanketed in white, and the lakes and ponds freeze. The opportunities for winter trail recreation are boundless. Discover world-class Nordic skiing venues and community trails that offer walks, snowshoeing, and fat biking.
There are hundreds of trails throughout the region. Some are featured here to get you started planning a winter exploration.
Waterville’s Quarry Road Trails offers outstanding winter trail activities, including cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and fat biking. Visitors can enjoy 10 km of world-class groomed trails and snowmaking capability on 3 km of trails. They are guaranteed to find great trail conditions all winter.
Operated by Colby College until the 1970s, the area is now run by Friends of Quarry Road. A non-profit volunteer organization, they work collaboratively with the City of Waterville to maintain the premier outdoor recreation area.
Lake George Regional Park, just minutes from Skowhegan, offers groomed ski trails on the east side of the park. The west side provides ungroomed, steeper trails perfect for exploring on snowshoes. Skiers can access the east side trails from Canaan Elementary School or via the snowmobile trails. Parking is available at the boat launch on the east side and the operations center on Route 2.
In addition, the bald summit of Jewell Hill has a splendid vista of Lake George and the hills that surround it to the north. The park’s west side offers a series of trails that climb the hill and skirt the shore. These trails are ideal for winter snowshoeing. There is a box at the trailheads with trail maps and recommended loops.
For top wintertime recreation, head to Bond Brook to ski its Nordic trails. Five miles of trails are dedicated only to cross-country skiers. Those who prefer to fat bike or snowshoe will enjoy other trails around the recreation area.
The trails here are groomed for gently rolling cross-country skiing in the winter, while other trails are marked for snowshoeing. The art installations in and among the trees at Viles Arboretum create a bridge between the human and the natural environment.
Set aside Messalonskee Lake, this system provide over 2.3 miles of well-maintained trails of varying lengths for cross-country skiing, snowshoers, and skiers of all ages and abilities. The trails are also ideal for bird-watching and wildlife photography.
Consisting of 300 mostly wooded acres and 2.5 miles of Kennebec River frontage, Nordic skiers and snowshoers can access the trails via Main Street Connector or access the River Trail at the Weston Avenue trailhead.
